Writing in Kindergarten and a freebie!

Five years ago if you would have asked me if I had Writer's Workshop in kindergarten I would have laughed!  Seriously Writer's Workshop in Kindergarten!?!??!  Well...a few years ago I decided to focus on my Writer's Workshop.  I have to say that my writer's workshop has truly become a part of my day that not only do I love but my students love too!  

I have writer's workshop the last half an hour of the day.  If we miss it my students will ask, "Why didn't we have a mini lesson?" "Hey, we didn't get out our writer's workshop binders."  I am going to be honest, I am surprised about how much they truly enjoy writing.  

I have use combination of lots of different tools for my writer's workshop.  

I get a lot of information from Deanna Jump and Kristina Smekens.  

I have been fortunate to see both of these amazing ladies at different conferences.  

Deanna Jump has lots of writing resources.

You can check out her blog!

Go to her blog

I also use a great book from Kristina Smekens.  

I take information from Deanna Jump, Kristina Smekens,  my own understanding of Writer's Workshop, and what my students need and create a Writer's Workshop tailored to my classroom.

A few years ago a fellow teacher had stuffed animals that she used to help her students remember writing concepts.  (Very clever)  I decided to find some stuffed animals that I had and I created my own writing friends.

Those of you who have seen me present at iPossibilities know what I am talking about.  For the rest of you just wait!  It is super clever and my kiddos remember! 

I have been working on my very own writing unit.  This unit will include a writing journal, writing friends posters, and directions to on how to use the journals and posters.  

I am SUPER excited to share my writing materials on a future blog.  

One of the things I learned from Kristina Smekens is teaching your students to use an alphabet chart to help them with their writing.  She suggests that you use a chart that is the same as your classroom alphabet.  Lucky for me I created my alphabet posters.  So if you have purchased any of my alphabet posters feel free to download this Alphabet Chart from my TPT store.

Get it FREE here!

Keep an eye out!  My Writer's Workshop materials are coming soon!
I can't wait to show it in use!

A day you only dream about... (pictures included)

Yesterday was one of those days that you dream about as a teacher.  It is the kind of day that reassures you that you are doing the right thing, you are making a difference.  Above all it makes you love what you do even more. 

I am not going to lie. I walked out of school today with a little more pep in my step.  I might have even been smiling to myself as I headed to my car.  It is one of those days that I am thankful to be a teacher and this is why I love my job!

After school, the conversation that I had with my husband:

Me:  Today is one of those days that you dream about as a teacher.

Husband:  Retirement?

Me: No!  (duh) A day of 100% engagement, discovery, problem solving, and FUN!

Okay...so I am definitely a teacher!  

I must admit to you I don't really think much about retirement.  Heck, I don't even know when my next break is.  I know it is sickening...but I love my job that much that breaks are perks and I am not living for the next one.  

Okay so enough gushing about my AMAZING day.  Let me share with you why it was so AMAZING and how I got my students engaged, discovering, problem solving, and having FUN at the same time.  

I recently started selling products on teachers pay teachers and I always seem to get a little boost when I use one of my products for the first time.  I am like a little kid...as I start the lesson I think wow this is going to be great.  Okay so I am easily excitable.  :)

We started our apple unit this week and I decided that I would end the week with my first STEM activity.  

Check it out here!

Only $3.00

First thing this morning, our 3rd grade STEM buddies came to my classroom.  In the past I have had reading buddies but after the successful morning I had we now have Stem buddies.  We will get together once a month and complete a monthly STEM activity.   

We started out by reading the book Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss.  

After reading the book we discussed if the book was real or make believe.  

We then talked about if they thought it was possible to stack Apples on Top of Their Head? 

I then gave them the challenge...

Dou you thing you could stack apples up on top?

The guidelines:  the apples had to be free standing and stacked on top of each other.  

I then showed them the supplies they had to use. 

Plus a little duct tape.  

They then filled out the first page of the packet.  

Duck tape?!  How cute!

They then came up with a plan.  

Once they explained their plan to us they could get their supplies.  That is where the REAL fun began!  Discovery and problem solving at its best!

And then we had our first success!

The other students listened as they explained their plan.  

At this point student went back to completing the challenge.  Some students made adjustments to their plan after seeing what worked.  We then had more successes!

Each success had their own unique differences.  

At this point we had the students stop exploring and fill out the final page of the packet.  

This folks is what 60 minutes of 100% engagement of 64 students look like.

One hour of exploration, discovery, problem solving, and FUN!

Here is a picture of my bulletin board.

A little peek of the apple activities we completed this week.  

$2.00

Get the bulletin board set here!

Or you can buy the bundle of all of my apple themed products here.
Apple Bundle

Hope you get a chance to have a great day just like mine really soon!

The key to Literacy Stations

In my kindergarten class I do literacy stations.  I have done literacy stations for the past eight years.  I have tweaked them, tried different methods, and I finally feel like my literacy stations are truly successful!  

The first thing to do when setting up literacy stations is to ask yourself a few important questions?

How many stations will you have?

Will you do your stations in one day?

How will you group your students?  

What will you include in your stations?

How many students will be in each group?

Will you group your students by ability?

What do you hope to accomplish?

How will you manage stations and transitions?

These are all important questions and hopefully I can help you answer them 

by sharing how I do my Literacy Stations.  

How Many Stations?

I do 6 stations.  

3 each day.  15 minutes a station. 

I do the same stations on Monday/Tuesday.

And new stations Wednesday/Thursday.

A little more detail...

I plan six stations for Monday and Tuesday.

We do 1, 2, & 3 on Monday and 4, 5, & 6 on Tuesday.

I plan six different stations for Wednesday & Thursday.  

We do 1, 2, & 3 on Wednesday and 4, 5, & 6 on Thursday.  

I have station cards that I use to help my students rotate through the stations.  

Here is a picture of the front side and the back side of the cards.

                              

I am a very visual person.  So most things in my room are visual and color coordinated.

Above each table is a pom pom that coordinates with the color station.  

     

                      

   

                        

Although my stations change every 2 days, each color station has a specific teaching point.  

Purple - computer

Orange - Teacher Table/Guided Reading 

Blue - Writing activity/monthly theme (classroom assistant)

        Red - iPads (differentiated apps)

Green - Listening station    

Yellow -    Sight words

Breakdown of Stations     

Purple                                

The purple station is the computer station.  At the computer station we either do an alphabet website 

such as StarFall or ABCya or a computer program that we have at school called Compass.  

Regardless of what program we use it is literacy based.  

Orange

The orange station is always the Guided Reading station.  This station is always teacher led.  Students at the orange station are grouped by ability.  I feel that grouping by ability is important for this station because I can focus on the needs of the students.  

My Guided Reading Station follows a similar agenda every day.  

1.  Sight words (review & slap it)

2.  Read a decodable reader

(I use the paper readers from our Reading Series - Scott Foresman Reading Street)

While reading the book we practice one to one correspondence, reading left to right, and practicing our reading strategies by using our reading friends.  

I organize my Guided Reading Group using an AMAZING product by Deanna Jump @MrsJumpsClass

Click here to check it out!


I have recently started using Poetry Journals from Caitlin Clabby @ Kindergarten Smiles.
                                                                                                                                                             

Pictures from my Orange Station:

Blue

The Blue station is ran by my kindergarten assistant.
At this station we focus on our theme or comprehension skill for the week or handwriting.
This station includes some type of writing.

Red

The Red station is always the iPad station.  

I differentiate among my students and the different apps.

Each student has a set of apps that they can choose from.

I base the apps on the needs of each student.  

Green

The Green station is my Listening station.  I used to do a cd listening center.  

One CD and one book or if I was lucky a couple books for the kiddos to share. 

I have since moved from that type of listening center to a listening center where the student have choice.  Once I got my iPads and discovered QR codes I knew there had to be a better way.  I started recording my own stories and connecting the recording to a QR code.  Now I have a bin full of books that my students can choose from.  I pick the books based on our kindergarten themes.  I have a bin for every theme! 

For example during our animal study I fill the bin with both fiction and nonfiction books.

This gives the students a choice to pick the type of story that they would like to read.   

As the year progresses, they listen to a story and then complete a reader's response.

The QR code links to a recording.  The students need to follow along with the book as they listen.  

Yellow

At the Yellow station I focus on sight words.  I try to do a variety of different sight word activities 

to help my students learn their sight words.  We do cut and paste sight word activities, roll the sight word, play doh sight words,  stamp sight words, and building sight words.  

I also like to add my iPads into this station.  We use magnetic alphabet to spell our sight words.  Once we have built a sight word using magnetic alphabet we take a screen shot.  We have a classroom competition to see who can guid the most sight words.  We also use beads to build sight words and take pictures of the words created.

I hope some of this tips were helpful!